April 2016 – Snap Dance Studios takes on the Big Apple
“These training trips are great because it exposes them to other styles, other teachers. It shows them what it’s like if they graduate and want to move to those bigger centers to try and make a go as a professional. It’s really eye-opening for them,” Stutz explained.
“It was a fantastic week. The workshops were all awesome and the kids had some great experiences and learned a lot.”
“The Rockettes experience was very challenging but it was a really good experience. We got to see what a Rockette is and what their dancing is like. And getting to do a mock audition with them was really cool,” Magliocco said.
The dancers also performed their own choreographed flash mob across the street from Radio City Music Hall for guests on The Ride bus tour and many pedestrians who stopped to watch.
Snap Dance Studio sends its dancers on a trip every two years. In order to be allowed to go, dancers must be enrolled in four of the studio’s core classes to ensure their technique is at the level needed to participate in workshops.
“We always propose the trip at the end of the previous year – so at the end of last dance season we announced we were doing it, then the kids signed up to go,” said Alison Stutz, the studio’s manager.
The studio switches the location each time it plans a new trip so the dancers are presented with different experiences and opportunities. The last time the studio had dancers visit New York City was roughly 10 years ago.
“It’s really important for us to show our dancers the different aspects of dancing and performing. So we’ve done performance trips where the whole goal is for them to perform in front of different audiences on different stages where they just show up and have to make the best of any situation,” Stutz said.
Stutz and the studio’s owner, Courtney Sproule, decided to do the New York City trip as it best fit their dancers’ needs at the time.
Snap Dance Studio dancers just returned home from a weeklong trip to New York City.
The Cochrane studio sent 24 dancers and their families to the Big Apple over spring break to experience life as professional dancers. In total, 65 people attended the tour.
“It was an amazing experience, it was definitely more than I expected,” said Taya Magliocco, one of the dancers who attended the trip.
With the help of the company A Balancing Act, which planned the trip, the dancers had the chance to tour Radio City Music Hall, attend private workshops with multiple Radio City Music Hall Rockettes and Broadway dancers, attend two Broadway shows, attend amateur night at the Apollo Theatre and much more.
February 2015 – Calgary Dance Express fundraiser
The Calgary Dance Express is holding a gala fundraiser on March 7(5 p.m.) at the Chestermere Recreation Centre in support of the dancers trip to the U.K.
“It’s the Calgary Dance Express, however, half the kids are from Strathmore and surrounding area and this is a non-profit performing troupe whose mandate is to provide travel and performing opportunities, nationally and internationally,” said Anne Leeper, an executive member of the studio.
The performers over the years have had the opportunity to go to larger scale events such as Expos since being started up in 1986 by Heather Thomas.
“They went Expo ’86 that first year and so they’ve been going since then. Generally every two years is when they travel,” said Leeper.
This year’s trip will consist of a two-week, three-stop trip in the U.K.
“The kids will be going from July 2-16 to the U.K. and they’re going to perform at dance related workshops. It’ll be five nights in London, three nights in Edinburgh and three nights in Dublin,” said Leeper.
Other than the gala, there are various other functions held throughout the year to help raise funds to send the girls on these trips.
“We do a casino night, parents do a bingo once a month and so that way there are no upfront costs for the parents.”
The cost for the event is $35 while children 10 and under are $15.
Festivities include live entertainment, a silent auction, door prizes and a dance
There will be also live performances from the Dance Express cast throughout the evening.